Hang this poster above the battery charging station, with a sturdy container and a long-handled shovel nearby.
What is on the poster
A lithium-ion pack stores a lot of energy in a small space. Damage, misuse or a knockoff can start a fire.
Choose, use and store
- Only batteries and chargers from the tool's own manufacturer.
- Keep packs away from keys, coins, screws, nails and liquids: metal can short the terminals.
- Never use a battery that is damaged, dropped, abused, modified or has been wet.
- Switch off before you insert a battery; remove it before any adjustment.
Dispose
- Never in the trash or a recycling bin, where it can start a fire.
- Take it to a recycling center or a battery-recycling container. Damaged? Contact the manufacturer.
Too hot to touch, melting, smoking or on fire
- Do not touch it. Eye and skin protection on. On a charger: unplug the charger, but do not separate the battery from tool or charger.
- Shovel it into water. With a long-handled shovel, into a sturdy container of water, with any tool or charger attached.
- No water yet? Move it 15 feet. At least 15 feet from anything that can burn, such as out to a parking lot.
- Leave it 24 hours. In the water at least 24 hours, even with no flames: while one cell cools, another can heat up.
A fire extinguisher may slow a battery fire but will not stop the chain reaction inside the cells (thermal runaway).
Built to the Science Safety Teaching Standard
This poster carries the SSTS mark. Like every Science Safety course, it is built to the Science Safety Teaching Standard (SSTS): every rule on it is taken from the body that governs it, at its current edition, and the source is printed on the poster, so you can check it yourself.
Stay current
When you get this poster, it is saved to your Science Safety account. If we revise the poster, or the Power Tool Safety module it comes from changes, we will email you, and the latest version will be waiting under Downloads in your account. Every revision carries its revision number and date at the bottom of the poster, so you can tell at a glance whether the copy on your wall is current.
Printing and hanging
- One-page PDF, US letter (8.5 by 11 inches).
- White background, so it prints clearly on any office or classroom printer without using much ink.
- Hang it above the battery charging station.
- The QR code in the blue title band opens this page, so anyone can get their own copy.
- The QR code at the bottom opens the Power Tool Safety module.
Learn more
The Power Tool Safety module teaches the full topic this poster comes from.
Sources:
- A Teacher's Reference Guide to Power Tool Safety (2026) – Power Tool Institute (reviewed October 2, 2026)
Poster SSP-0054, Rev. 1, October 2026.
